The number of times I have sat at red traffic lights in my comfortable car with the windscreen wipers on, or the air conditioning on, while pedestrians, sometimes with children, stand waiting for a green man.
I am aware of only one place (a pelican crossing) where the lights change in the pedestrians’ favour immediately upon request.
There is surely technology that could allow pedestrians to call upon traffic lights to change immediately, if there has not been a pedestrian phase for, say, 30 seconds. Waiting a minute or sometimes much longer is extremely irritating for pedestrians, whereas drivers can relax in comfort.
There will be some circumstances where pedestrian priority should not be allowed (eg some complicated junctions, perhaps a limited part of rush hours) but most straightforward crossroads and T junctions could easily be improved dramatically for pedestrians. Highway planners and engineers need to get into a pedestrian priority mentality, and over time this would become the societal norm (as with dog fouling, seat belts, smoking).
Benefits will include encouraging walking, fewer car journeys, improved fitness, better safety (less jaywalking), less standing by junctions in hot/cold/wet conditions breathing in fumes.
Please don’t bother with my prize if my idea were to succeed – just put the money into a good cause or another idea.
1627-11